A thrilling victory was achieved by the handball team of Mary N. Raptou Schools in the National High School Handball Championship, securing a spot among the top 8 school teams in Greece.

Coach Vasilis Gouravas shared the following thoughts on the result:

“As a PE teacher and coach of the handball teams at Mary N. Raptou Schools, I feel a mix of emotions after the games in the National High School Championship. On one hand, our girls’ team made history with a dramatic penalty shootout win after a nail-biting match that kept us on edge until the very last second.

The focus, passion, and selflessness shown by the girls were truly admirable. On the other hand, the boys’ team, which has worked hard and has real talent, unfortunately did not manage to win. Still, I’m proud of their effort and how they played.

Now, we turn our attention to the next stage, where our girls’ team will compete among the top 8 school teams in Greece. We’ll be playing on neutral ground in Piraeus against the winner of the Crete vs Peloponnese match. We are ready to give it our all and represent Mary N. Raptou Schools, as well as all of Central and Mainland Greece, with pride.

I’d like to express my heartfelt congratulations to all our athletes for their outstanding performance, and a big thank you to the parents and friends who supported us from the stands.

We are especially grateful to the Physical Education Office of Lamia for their excellent hospitality, and to the Regional Directorate of Education of Thessaly, particularly Ms. Vasiliki Ziaka, for their continuous support.

A personal thank-you to my tireless colleagues from the PE Office of Larissa, Ms. Daphni Batsila and Ms. Gogo Kokloni, for their unwavering support.

We move forward with strength and determination!”

“I dedicate this victory to Mr. Nikos Raptis, CEO of our school, for his continuous support of handball.”